"Nothing is Original": Coffee and Cigarettes Jim Jamusch adaptation for a screen-test'

Nothing is Original', can (apparently) be quoted master filmmaker Jim Jamusch.

Well, we've just completed a screen test partly to familiarize with new equipment; a Black Magic pocket cinema camera 4K with an Olympus 12-40mm f2.8 lens and aperture LEDs, while recording audio using a deity S-mic, and editing using Davinci Resolve 16.1.

The (hopefully not to clunky) dialogue is based very heavily upon a vignette from Jamusch's 2003 film Coffee and Cigarettes, and, to be completely honest, regarding our script nothing is original- it is but a clumsy re-write of Jamusch's own work.

With little more than a few hours to come up with a script and only one actress (myself) immediately disposable, the writing behind this video needed acknowledge definite limitations. Racking ones mind one can recollect a number of note-able roles taken on by some very famous proponents of the acting craft whereby an actor has portrayed one or more characters in a single film or piece of video. From Monty Pythons Flying Circus to Crohnenbergs Dead Ringers from Jack Nicholson in Mars Attacks to Lindsey Lohan in that B-grade kids movie she was in in which she played twins.. it happens all the time. However, when contemplating occasions when one actor has played two characters stand alone the mind bends and flexes and retrieves very little. Perhaps I speak for myself. This is where one particular vignette from Coffee and Cigarettes apparates forefront in my thoughts... "Cousins." This video can be easily found on youtube.

The original is so casual it's cool. Starring Kate Blanchett as cousins who've grown to become very very different adults, almost alter-egos, the short manages to convey two very disparate characters as both somewhat likeable, but displays a sort of mutual respect and fondness between them that one mightn't expect of two characters of such disparate means. Re-emanating these qualities presents a mighty challenge as an actress and as the edit awaits us next weekend I'm yet to know if I even vaguely captured anything of the like in the performance. In the photo above you may note both 'cousins' appear in the same frame. Unfortunately our low budget impromptu production features no such affects and merely carefully crafted camera angles.

As you can imagine costume design for playing both an uptight exceedingly wealthy business woman and a bummy grungy pub-rockers boyfriend/ ageing groupie was fun! ...as was embodying such contrasting postural approaches. Actually in an attempt to come up with any real dissuading elements to such an impromptu shoot in such good company one could only briefly mention the beating heat of the cinema lighting and the struggle to familiarize with dialogue with next to no preparation time. But if you are interested you can view our screen test here: [